Oar and paddle construction



Jan. 16, 1945. KURTZ 2,367,222

' OAR AND PADDLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 19, 1942 T '16 J2 J 6 a 1? 5 J6 fi es 7 7 "J73 I fiv efli liai zz 1c INVENTOR.

Patented Jan. 16, 19 45 OAR ANDFPADDBE ooNsm-itnemiom .Ro'hertKurtz, Pomanairafl.

Application -February 19, 194 2, iSerial Niw 42313593.} I

'6 Glaims.

Y Tlii s-invention aims to=provide aboat'propeller of the oar-"and paddle-"type, capable of being stowedin smallcompass, by io'lding; inza suitcase or-tlie like. The-invention aims to improve: the

stock of the article, and to-provide: novel means i for pivotallyr connecti g t stock with; other portions" of'tlie' devic i a v 'It-iswithin theprovinceof the disclosure to improve" generally and to enhance, the utility. of

devices of that 'typeto which the present in,- vention'appertains. With the above and ;other objects view,

which willappear asthe description proceeds,

the invention residesintlie combination and arrangement ofparts and" in the details of construction' hereinafter described and claimed, ,it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment ofthe invention herein. disclosed;

may be" made within the scopev of whatis claimed, without departing :from the. spirit of the invention. f 'With the" understanding that the'word oar.

incmdes'paddles and the like, reference may .be

had "to" the accompanying drawing, whereinz.

Fig." 1'- is. a top plan" of. an oar. constructed in accordance with theinvention;

Fig: 2 f is a side elevation; j

Fig; 3"'is"a' side elevation wherein the car is shown folded; I e

' Figz14 is a section on thel-tofFig. 2;

Fig; 5 is a section similar to Fig.4, but showing a modification;

length; if desired,- and intatwliich the; tongue 4 of the body 2 can be f olded'ito a considerable extenti A means; 5B-fi's': provided for assembling, the bl ade-pivotally: with the" side pieces 15. In pro v viding the pivot" means, bushingsfl "are: secured in the si de -pieces 5 thebushings' having Jen'- bushing I I is secured in the shank 1 of the blade 5 A l tubular-nut fi -extends through'one"ofthe bushings 9; through the bushing" I" I; and into the oppositebushing 93* the nut I 2 having; a 'kerfed head 'l' l housed the socket I 0 of-thefiist-men? tidned bushing: A4 screw |'5'-'isthreadedintofthe Fig. 6 is r'a side elevation oftheform depicted in'Fig; 5; v

I Fig. 7 is'a top plan showinga further. modifiecation;

I Fig. 8' is a side elevation showing janother modification;

Fig. 9is an elevation .of. the blade, parts there+ offbeing broken away, and thefstock beingremoved. o x

Referring to Figs; .1 to 4 there is shown an par, generally made ofilwood, andincludingastock Loomprisinga body- 2, a. grip.3 at the outei end ofthe body, and a reduced and .flattenedtong-ue I. at theopposite end. of. the. body ythe. tongue being disposed symmetrically with. respect to, the

central: longitudinal. axis .of. the body. 2.

Side pieces. 5' are disposed on opposite -c sides of the tongue 4. The numeral 6 marks a-iblade having; areduced'shank 1 extended between the side pieces 5, at the outer ends thereof; The tongue 4 and the shank 1 space the side pieces 5 transversely, to form a longitudinal slot 8, into nu-t 1 2 and" has ;'a kerf-e'd head" It; housedi in the corresponding socket W5 It will be noteditha t the bushings- 9"-'-have end abutmentijagainstf'the bushing l l and, no matter how tightlythescrew l-Etis set up; the shar rk'--T-"'of the'blade 'fifwilfnot be bound so g htly' between the-side pieces 15 that the bl' ade=-cannot folded, as shown" in A retaining means 1 5 I" is" employed for holding the -blade s the working position *ofi- Fig: 21

That'- means; as shown inFig: 4; may be a dupli? eate" of the pivoting structure: The", retaining means-is lbcated betweenthe pivot-means Ellia'n'd the adjacent ends ofthesidepiecstffi .7

' Thebody 2 is pivotally 'mounted' at 52 andyis retained at 53: The pivot means; and the-re tat i ng means for'the-bodiv Zmay be of the:'kind hereinbefore described and shown in Fig. 4-;

e The retaining means shown-ati5l=and at. 5-3

may be removed,-' and the-blade 6' and the body 2 may be folded into the position shown" in Fig. 3. The oar; thus, isshortened to such an eX- tent that i-tcan-be'carried in a. suitcase or stowed, in acupboardi Inconnection the use of some kinds of wood; orif-"the oar-is: put away in awet place,

after"being fold'ed'ltoithe position of Fig. 3., the

: 'Sihas-a bushedopeningid, the. pivot meansfill which the blade 6 can be folded throughout its 55 v and the retaining means 5!.

being Io'cat'edhalf'way between the opening 54 The blade 6 may be turned end for end, to enter the slot 8 until the longitudinal axis of the blade coincides with the longitudinal axis of the stock I. The bushed opening 54 in the shank I of the blade 6 thus is brought into registration with the bushings 9 ofthe side pieces 5, and the retaining means is re-inserted, to hold the blade folded. When the aforesaid method of procedure is resorted to, the body 2 ordinarily is not folded on its pivotal mounting 52.

The retaining means shown at 5| and at 53 must be removed, in order that the blade 6 and the body 2 may be folded as in Fig. 3, and the retaining means may be of any desired form. If preferred, recourse may be had to the structure shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In those figures, parts hereinbefore described have been designated by numerals already used, with the sufilx a.

In the making of the retaining means in Figs. 5 and 6, a tubular bushingl'l is secured in one of the side pieces 5a, that side piece having a superficial, longitudinal recess Ill. The bushing I1 is supplied with a flattened, tubular guide is, seated in the recess l8.

A headed pin extends through the bushings 9a, Ha and I1, and has a disk-like foot 2|, connectedto the body portion of the pin by a reduced neck 22. A latch 23 is slidably mounted in the guide I9 and has a rectangular finger piece 24 at its inner end. At its outer end, the latch 23 has a fork 25, adapted to receive the neck 22, beneath the foot 2|, thereby to hold the pin 2! against being withdrawn accidentally.

In Fig. '7, parts hereinbefore describedhave been designated by numerals already used, with the sufiix b. In this form of the invention, the body 2b and the side pieces 5b are formed in one piece, the car having but one fold, namely at the pivotal connection between the blade 6b and the side pieces 5b.

In Figs. 8 and 9, parts hereinbefore described are designated by numerals already used, with the suflix c. The blade 60 has an additional bushed opening for the reception of the retaining means 5lc, located in a common arc with the opening 0. The longitudinal axis of the blade 60 is disposed at an obtuse angle to the longitudinal axis of the stock I, and the blade gets a better hold on the water, especially in the hand of an inexperienced oarsman.

In all forms of the invention the retainers and pivot members enhance resiliency and permit a snap not found in a rigid oar, the oar calling for. the expenditure of a lessened amount of physical exertion.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A. device of the oar and paddle type, comprising side pieces, a body having one end extended between the side pieces, a blade having one end extended between the side pieces, said ends of the blade and of the body spacing the side pieces to form a slot, the blade and the body being foldable in the slot, pivot means connecting the blade with the side pieces, pivot means connecting the body with the side pieces, movable retaining means connecting the blade with the side pieces, to hold the blade in working position, and movable means connecting the body with the side pieces to hold the body in Working position.

2. A device of the car and paddle type, comprising side pieces, a blade pivotally mounted between the side pieces and foldable to lie between the side pieces, and a body including a hand grip,

the body being pivotally mounted between the side pieces, the relative lengths of the body and the blade being such that the body can engage the blade, when both are folded, and act leverwise thereon, to start the blade if it is stuck between the side pieces.

3. A device of the oar and paddle type, constructed as set forth in claim 1, and wherein each pivot means comprises an elongated tubular nut, and ascrew threaded into the nut.

4. A device of the oar "and paddle type, constructed as set forth in claim 1, and wherein one of the pivot means comprises a pin having. a foot, the foot being connected to the body portion of the pin by a reduced neck, and a latch slidably mounted on one of the side pieces and forked to span the neck and engage beneath the foot.

5. A device of the oar and paddle type, comprising a stock including side pieces definin a slot in one end of the stock, the side pieces having inner and outer openings disposed in a straight line extended lengthwise of the stock, a blade extended into the slot and having inner, outer and intermediate openings, the outer and intermediate openings of the blade registering, respectively, with the outer and inner openings of the 'openingsof the side pieces and of the blade, to

hold the blade in working position and in axial alinement with the stock, the blade being movable on the pivot means, when the retaining means is removed, to bring the lateral opening' into registration with the outer openings of the side pieces, the retaining means being insertible into the last-specified openings of the blade and of the side pieces, to hold the blade at an obtuse angle t0 the stock, the blade being capable of end-for-end reversal on the pivot means, to locate the blade in the slot, when the retaining means is removed, and to bring the inner opening of the blad into registration with the outer opening of the side pieces, for the reception of the retaining means.

6. A device of the oar and paddle type, comprising a stock including side pieces defining a slot in one end of the stock, the side pieces having inner and outer openings disposed in a straight line extended lengthwise of the stock, a blade extended into the slot and having inner, outer and intermediate openings, the outer and intermediate openings of the blade registering, respectively, with the outer and inner openings of the side pieces, a pivot means disposed in the inner openings of the side pieces and in the intermediate opening of the blade, and a retaining means removably mounted in the outer openings of the side pieces and of the blade, to hold the blade in working position and in axial alinement with the stock, the blade being capable of end for-end reversal on the pivot means, to locate the blade in the slot, when the retaining means is removed, and to bring the inner opening of the blade into registration with the outer openings of the side pieces, for the reception of the retainmg means.

' 7 ROBERT KURTZ. 

